"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap, you know," drawls country legend Dolly Parton. Indeed, Dolly speaks for many of us bottle blondes who, as the credit crunch drags on, are having to leave longer gaps between salon visits.

Covering my roots is a never-ending touch-up job - a bit like painting the Forth bridge but without the views - so I've turned to home kits to eke it out.

The new multi-light kits from Garnier Nutrisse (£4.99, Boots) are up to the job as long as you use two different colours on your roots - such as blonde and golden blonde - and get a friend to do it for you.

Or you could go back to your roots and become a credit crunch brunette... but you'd have noticeably less fun.

Road to recovery

The season of goodwill and motorway journeys is almost upon us, and families across the nation will drive hundreds of miles to pull a few crackers with their loved ones. Don't leave home without consulting www.keepmoving.co.uk which finds the cheapest petrol station and traffic info for all UK roads.

Clean sweep

I find it hard to save money, so I've started using my bank's sweep facility. Whatever's left in my account on the day before payday is "swept" into a savings account. Admittedly, it's not much, and I'm unlikely to ever need the Bank of England guarantee, but if your bank, like HSBC, Abbey, First Direct and The Co-Operative, offers this service free, it's an easy way to save without really noticing.

Free view

Go and watch your favourite show for free when you join BBC or ITV studio audiences all over the UK. But be warned, buttock-clenchingly unfunny warm-up acts may make you wish for the comfort of your own sofa. Book online at www.bbc.co.uk/tickets or www.itv.com/beontv/tickets.

READER'S TIP

Pets are finding it's a dog's life out there. Reader Shelley Minster, from Portsmouth, says: "I've switched from canned food to a good quality dry food to feed my three cats - it goes a lot further. I've read that owners are having their pets put down rather than pay vet fees but many RSPCA centres provide subsidised treatment. Find your local one at www.rspca.org.uk or call 0300 123 4555."